Percy Jackson and the Land Beyond the Gods
by Basura
Summary: "About two months ago, I had woken up in the middle of a burnt-out mansion in a forest in California. I had no memories of anything except for my name, Percy Jackson. I could only get answers if I proved myself. My goal was to reach some camp in Southern California, where I'd find safety and maybe my memories. And maybe her." HoO series rewritten entirely from Percy's POV, like PJO
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Basura here, and I don't know what I'm doing.**

 **This is my first fanfiction. The idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I finally decided to pursue it. I have no idea if someone else has done anything like this, if so I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'm also really nervous about uploading this, but I sucked it up.**

 **Anyway, this begins in The Son of Neptune, and you may notice that this chapter seems a** _ **lot**_ **like the first chapter in SoN. That's because in the book, the chapter was written with focus on Percy. The reason I wrote this was so I could write scenes that canonically** _ **weren't**_ **written with focus on him. (Like a certain battle scene or the end of MoA cough cough) I thought it'd be interesting, and a great way to procrastinate.**

 **SO, here we go.** **¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯**

 **Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan. I am merely writing his work from a different perspective.**

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The gorgons still weren't dead, and I didn't know why.

I guess it could've been worse. I could have gotten stuck with a hydra chasing me around for days on end ever since I left the Wolf House. Instead, I was lucky enough to got some pretty stupid gorgons, half-snake half-woman monsters. But gods were they annoying. And impossible to kill.

I should probably explain what's going on.

About two months ago, I had woken up freezing and lost in the middle of a burnt-out mansion in a forest in California. I had no memories of anything, except for my name, Percy Jackson. After getting more and more panicked with each passing minute, a pack of giant talking wolves appeared (I know, I was surprised, too). The lead wolf, Lupa, explained that I was the demigod child of an ancient Roman god from the old myths. All of those gods and monsters were real, and it was my job to deal with them. She claimed to not know who my godly parent was, and that I would find out for myself in a few days. Things only got more suspicious when I discovered that I had come prepackaged with fighting skills and even a specially-included sword, even though Lupa was supposed to provide those things, as she had for many demigods before me.

So for a few weeks, I became a follower of Lupa with the rest of her pack, where she taught me to sharpen my senses and follow my instincts more than anything. She told me I'd become an even greater fighter than I already was. However, she refused to answer any questions I had about my past life, which prompted me to shut my mouth about the one thing, or rather one _person,_ that I _did_ remember. She'd already threatened to feed me to her young for asking about the mysterious necklace I wore, and I had had a feeling that if I had mentioned the pretty blonde girl, I might have woken up another week later with her gone, too. So I stopped asking questions and let Lupa guide my training without complaint.

Then she threw me out on to the streets.

Lupa said I could only get any answers if I proved myself. My goal was to reach some camp in Southern California, where I'd find safety, other demigods, and _maybe_ regain my memory. Lupa told me that my instincts would lead me to the camp, and that I should have no problem fighting monsters and finding my way.

Well, it's not so easy when your instincts are crap.

My brain told me to go south like I'd been instructed, but the rest of me wanted to go north, towards San Francisco. Every time I thought of the city, the blonde girl named Annabeth would pop up in my head. She was there, or at least had been there. In the complete opposite direction of my destination was my only link to my old life. It gave me a headache to ignore it, but I figured I should get my memory back before looking for her. Besides, another feeling told me she was _also_ at the camp. I hoped she was. I missed her a lot.

But I'd never find her if I didn't defeat the idiot gorgons.

It was my fault they found me. I'd wandered into some deserted Napa Bargain Mart, planning to steal some chips and other supplies for a fabulous breakfast, when the two workers giving out free samples revealed themselves to be gorgons. It wasn't a total loss; I'd managed to snag a portable GPS, a roll of duct tape, a lighter, some superglue, a water bottle, a camping roll, a pocket knife, and an as-seen-on-TV Panda Pillow Pet before running out of the store. I had tried to lose them, but the gorgons were always bragging about how they could find me because they could 'smell' me. I still wasn't sure if they actually could or were just being insulting. Just to be safe, I tried everything to get rid of the scent: rolling in mud, going swimming in the nastiest water I could find, even putting air fresheners in my pockets. Nothing worked.

In addition to my amazing instincts via Lupa being a bust, so was the information about how to defeat monsters. I'd crushed the gorgons with a crate of bowling balls three days ago, ran them over with a stolen police car two days ago, and decapitated them this morning. They always crumpled to dust like they should, but then returned from the dead a few hours later like they _shouldn't_. The only reason I hadn't died either was because their attacks against me seemed to be useless too. They'd thrown everything they had at me, but I still didn't have a scratch. It was like my skin was impenetrable. I had even tried cutting my skin with my own sword a few days ago, practically hacking my arm off, and not a drop of blood appeared. I had wondered if all demigods were like this. The gorgons' obvious frustration about my invulnerability told me that I was unique.

Anyway, back to the present.

I was standing at the top of a cliff overlooking the golden hills of California, trying to catch my breath. Just west was Berkeley and Oakland, and a little farther was San Francisco, smothered in fog. I felt a pinprick of a memory in the back of my head.

 _It's not fog, it's Mist._

The disgusting smell of slime and scales interrupted the gorgeous view. In the woods behind me, I heard hissing and crunching. I sighed. The gorgons were back.

I looked at the glittering San Francisco bay. Somehow, I could hear the waves lapping onto the shore from miles away, calling to me. I wanted to go there. For unexplained reasons, water seemed to make me stronger and give me energy, particularly salt water. I'd discovered that when I fought a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait. I could even move the water like some sort of water bender if I tried. I could probably fight off the gorgons in the bay, and maybe even drown them once and for all. But the bay was too far. I'd never make it across the city. Besides, I knew I was close to the camp. It felt like it was right under my feet. But where?

The hissing got closer. I ran towards the end of the cliff, hoping to find a road or some other way down. But all I saw was a straight 80-foot drop to the roof of an apartment building alongside a highway. I cursed. The gorgons had cornered me. _Again._

Even though the gorgons would burst from the trees at any moment, I kept staring at the cars flowing in and out of the tunnel on the highway. The tunnel passed right through the hill I stood on.

My internal alarm went crazy. I was close. _So_ close _._ That tunnel had something to do with camp. I was only a few hundred feet away. I had to get down there. I took off my backpack and tore through it like a maniac. There had to be _something_ I could use as a parachute or a sled to get down there. But the Pillow Pet wasn't exactly useful. I could either jump to my death or fight. Both equally sucked.

I pulled the pen out of my pocket. Normally, it looked like a cheap ballpoint pen you could get at the Bargain Mart checkout, but it was actually my greatest defense. When uncapped, it turned into a gleaming bronze sword that felt like it was designed specifically for me. Engraved into the blade was the word _Anaklusmos_ , which was Greek for Riptide. I had no idea how I knew that, so don't ask. It'd been the first thing I saw when I awoke in the Wolf House. The only reason I'd been able to see was because of the eerie glow it cast in the dark. I'd wandered around in the cold, terrified, and then Lupa's pack came-

"There you are!"

I nearly fell right off the cliff when the voice spoke right into my ear. I whirled around and held Riptide in front of me. I was lucky- It was the dumber one that smiled a lot, named Beano.

Her name wasn't actually Beano, that's just what I thought her name tag had first said when we met. It really read Stheno, but whenever I tried to read something, all the letters floated away, like I was dyslexic. Another thing you shouldn't ask about. At least I had a better deal than Stheno. Not even the green apron and floral dress could cover up the fact that she had rooster feet and husks sticking out of her mouth. Oh, and the red eyes. And hair made of snakes. But what really ticked me off was the fact that she still had that stupid beaten-up free samples tray. The tray was on the verge of snapping in two, but the little Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners looked fresh out of the box. If I ever needed armor, I'd make it out of those things. At this point, I was convinced they'd survive a nuclear blast.

Stheno held out the tray. "Try one?"

I pointed Riptide at her. "Where's your sister?" I asked. I wasn't getting ambushed today.

"Oh, put the sword away," Stheno said nonchalantly. "You know by now that even Celestial Bronze can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach." Anytime Stheno appeared, she was always courteous enough to offer me a Cheese 'n' Wiener before she tried to kill me. I never did eat one though. They were probably laced with poison for all I knew.

"Stheno!" I jumped as the second gorgon appeared, glaring at her sister. "I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!"

Stheno's smile dropped. "But Euryale," she whined. "Can't I give him a sample first?"

"No, you imbecile!" Euryale cried. Over the past few days, I'd learned that Stheno put offering me a Cheese 'n' Wiener higher on her list of priorities over actually killing me. This made Euryale go off on her instead of me, and was probably the only reason I'd killed them at all so far.

Euryale looked just like her sister, except that her snake-do was coral-colored instead of green. She had also been covered head to toe (talon?) in 50% off stickers, remnants of our battle at the Napa Bargain Mart.

"You've led us on quite a chase, Percy Jackson," Euryale growled. "But now you're trapped, and we'll have our revenge!"

"The Cheese 'n' Wieners are only $2.99. Grocery Department, aisle three," Stheno said with a smile.

"Stheno!" Euryale practically screamed in annoyance. "The Bargain Mart was a _front!_ You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who vaporized Medusa?"

From my sketchy understanding of mythology, Medusa was a really ugly snake-haired lady that could turn people to stone. Apparently, these gorgons were her angry sisters, trying to get back at me for killing Medusa. But you'd think I would at least recall decapitating some famous snake lady.

I glanced over the edge again. "Look, ladies," I pleaded. "We've been over this. I don't even _remember_ killing Medusa. I don't remember anything! Can't we just call it a truce and talk about your weekly specials?"

Stheno's face lit up. "Can we?" she asked Euryale.

"No!" Euryale stepped toward me. "I don't care what you remember, son of the sea god."

 _Son of the sea god? That explains a lot._

"I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but _you_ were the last one to defeat her. She _still_ has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!"

Euryale and Stheno have gone on and on about Tartarus and returning from the dead, and I still didn't understand it. When monsters died, they were supposed to go straight to Tartarus, wherever that was, and then come back to life somehow. I didn't get why Euryale and Stheno were so upset about Medusa not returning. _They_ were able to return just fine.

"How about we call it a draw?" I suggested. "I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters - like, _the_ Medusa who turned people to stone - shouldn't I be petrified by now?"

"Heroes!" Euryale howled with hatred. Despite it being a legitimate question, it always ticked the two gorgons off without fail. "They always bring that up, just like our mother!" She raised her voice to that nagging, motherly tone. "'Why can't you turn people into stone? Your _sister_ can turn people into stone.' Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. _She_ was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!"

Stheno pouted. "Mother said _I_ was the most hideous."

"Quiet!" Euryale snapped. "As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true that you bear the mark of Achilles. That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way."

"The mark of what?" I asked.

"Achilles. Oh, he was _gorgeous!_ Dipped in the River Styx as a child, you know, so he was invulnerable except for a tiny spot on his ankle," Stheno explained happily, sounding like a too-upbeat tour guide. "That's what happened to you, dear. Someone must've dumped you in the Styx and made your skin like iron. But not to worry. Heroes like you always have a weak spot. We just have to find it, and then we can kill you. Won't that be lovely? Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener!"

So there was a reason behind my invulnerability. But I didn't remember being put in some river.

 _Yes I do. It was like being boiled alive. The current was dark and crushing. And Annabeth was there, trying to help me out…_

Even if I was immune to harm, I couldn't hold off the gorgons. I was too tired and hungry to fight. Sure, they might have not been able to hurt me while I defended myself, but they'd probably find my weak spot if I passed out from exhaustion. My lower back ached...

I just needed a way down the cliff side. I couldn't just jump down; that'd be an easy way to break my spine. If only I had something to slide down on like a sled, then I _might_ survive…

My eye caught Stheno's wide tray of Cheese 'n' Wieners.

"Reconsidering?" Stheno asked cheerfully. "Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless."

I felt my stomach twist. "You added your blood to the Cheese 'n' Wieners?" Just this morning, I'd nearly eaten one that had fallen on the ground in the middle of our fight. I had been _so_ hungry. If I had eaten it…

"Just a little. A tiny nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. Blood from our right side can cure anything, you know, but blood from our left side is deadly-"

"You dimwit!" Euryale shrieked, smacking her sister's arm. "You're not supposed to tell him that! He won't eat the wieners if you tell you tell him they're poisoned!" _What do you know, I was right._

This was news to Stheno. "He won't? But I said it would be quick and painless."

"Nevermind!" Euryale said in disgust. Her hands morphed into claws. "We'll kill him the hard way - just keep slashing until we find the weak spot. Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! Our patron we'll reward us greatly!"

I had heard that line more than once. It seemed like every monster I fought thought that it was a great achievement to defeat me, and that it would make their mysterious patron very happy. I couldn't care less about why they thought that, but for now I could use it as a great distraction to delay my death. _Keep them talking._

"Before you slash me to bits, who's this patron you mentioned?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

"The goddess Gaea, of course!" Euryale said. "The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like- like-"

"Like our prices at Bargain Mart!" Stheno finished.

Euryale screamed in frustration and marched toward Stheno. I took my chance. I grabbed the tray out of Stheno's hand, tossed the Cheese 'n' Wieners off, and cut Euryale in half with Riptide. I held the tray up to Stheno, just in case she decided to lash out. Instead, she screamed at her reflection.

"Medusa!"

Euryale had dissolved into dust, but she was already starting to reform. "Stheno, you fool!" She yelled, her voice garbled by her half-melted form. "That's just your own reflection! Get him!"

I hit the tray as hard as I could on Stheno's head before she could react, and she crumpled to the ground. I quickly balanced the tray on the edge of the cliff and took my seat. I couldn't _believe_ that I was doing this. The side of my head tingled, and I heard a slightly high-pitched, crackly voice, typical of a teenage boy.

" _Blah-ha-ha! You can't seriously be doing this, Percy!"_

Shout-out to my subconscious for letting me know that I wasn't the only one who thought this was insane. I sent a silent prayer to whatever Roman god that would listen, and launched myself down the cliff.

I soared down the cliff side so fast the wind was knocked out of me. I bounced from rock to rock, and I was afraid that the tray would shatter from the impact. Despite me plummeting to my death, my mind started up again, and I suddenly flashed back to another memory.

 _I was flying down a snowy hillside, even faster than I was now. I was careening through the trees on - what? A shield? Sitting next to me was a girl with short black hair, screaming her head off._

Well, at least it wasn't the first time I had risked my life doing free-style sledding away from monsters.

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 **A/N: Sooo, whaddya think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? OOC? Should I upload another chapter? Or should I delete this story and ya'll can pretend it never happened? Please tell me in a REVIEW!**

 **(Also, if you noticed any mistakes in my conventions, please tell me. I have immense pride when it comes to spelling and grammar. I'm honestly worse than Annabeth. Point something out and I'll fix it right away.)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~ Basura**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hola!**

 **Thank you guys so much for your lovely reviews last chapter! (** **ノ** ***** ***) I also got a LOT more views than I was expecting. Woo!**

 **And yes, I know that rewriting the already-Percy chapters seems sort of pointless, and trust me, I agree with you. That's one of the reasons why it took me so long to write this story because I didn't want to rewrite the beginning Percy chapters. It's** _ **so**_ **boring to me and takes forever. SoN focuses on him for like FIFTY PAGES and there's SO. MUCH. DIALOGUE. Fortunately, there's only about 20 more pages from here until the focus switches to Hazel. Until then, I'm not sure whether I should compress the upcoming chapters so we can get a move on, or if I should lengthen them by adding Percy's thoughts to make it interesting. What do you guys think?**

 **Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan.**

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 **My Invulnerability Isn't Invulnerable**

I'd faced a lot of dangerous situations, but flying down a rocky cliff on a cheap metal serving tray while being chased by gorgons was pretty up there.

I could barely hear the gorgons' loud screaming behind me as I skipped from rock to rock. I desperately tried to steer, but a snack platter is a lot different from a Toyota Prius. I was spinning so much I was about to puke.

Who knew if the gorgons were right behind me. All I could see was the apartment building roof getting closer and closer.

I twisted around at the last second, rolling hard on my side, but not breaking my legs. The tray skidded back towards the cliff. I continued over the edge.

I was now free-falling at top speed towards the highway below. I imagined myself slamming onto someone's hood while the driver flicked on their windshield wipers. _Stupid sixteen-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late!_

Then, a strong gust a wind from the mountain valley took hold and swept me away from the road. It was a pretty hard fall into the overgrown bushes, but it was the luckiest thing that happened to me all week. I groaned out of both relief and exhaustion. I just wanted to lie there for hours, but I knew I had to keep moving.

My hands had a few scrapes, but once again, no blood. I didn't seem to have any broken bones and I still had my backpack. My sword flew out of my hand somewhere behind me, but it wasn't a big deal. Riptide always returned to my pocket in pen form a few minutes after I lost it. As long as I hid from the gorgons for a little longer, I would be fine.

Speaking of gorgons, the snake ladies stood out brightly against the rock as they slowly climbed down. I had gotten a nice head start, but Euryale and Stheno were excellent climbers. _Probably those stupid chicken feet._ I had maybe five minutes before they caught up.

If I was careful, I could cross the road and reach the fence separating the highway from the houses outside. It was full of holes large enough for me to slip through, and once I was inside the neighborhoods, I could steal a car and drive to safety in the ocean. I hated stealing cars, but I typically needed them a lot more than the owners did. Besides, I always _meant_ to return them before monsters shredded them to pieces.

I looked up at the tunnels again. The two holes punched into the hillside made my alarm go off again. And then I finally noticed.

In between the in and out tunnels was a smaller one, probably used for maintenance. Or at least that's what _mortals_ must have thought. In order to hide the world of monsters and gods from mortals, there's a magical shield called the Mist that tricks mortals into seeing whatever logical thing they want to see. Two gorgons? Just really ugly old ladies. A massive hydra? Somehow the zoo elephant escaped. A teenage boy being thrown over a highway? Just a low-flying model airplane. Mortals believed anything but the truth.

Standing beside the tunnel were two kids in armor guarding it. Both of them held metal-tipped spears, and the shorter one on the left looked like a girl, but it was hard to tell. The other was a muscular boy with a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. Neither seemed to notice me yet. I heard the gorgons' squawking get closer. If the guards didn't notice anything now, they would soon.

The tunnel had to lead to camp. There was safety, belonging, and all the answers to this mess.

So why did I feel so uneasy?

The gorgons appeared on the roof of the apartment building. I had minutes to make my decision: Ocean or tunnel? Ocean would mean a quick jog through the eucalyptus trees to temporary safety. The tunnel would mean sprinting across traffic to the median, closer to the gorgons, but also to camp. It seemed like an easy decision. Just go for the camp and get it over with. But the thought of the camp made my stomach feel like a rock.

 _Something's not right,_ I thought. _This isn't my territory. This is dangerous._

"You're right, of course."

I jumped at the voice. I thought for one terrible second that Beano had snuck up on me again, but sitting behind me instead was some old lady even grosser than a gorgon. She looked like an eighty-year-old hippie panhandler who lived off of the garbage dump. Her hair looked more like a rat than actual hair, and her face was covered in moles and wrinkles. Her tie-dye dress was a mismatch of quilts, plastic bags, and whatever else you could find on the curb. She grinned at me, and showed only three yellow teeth.

"It isn't a maintenance tunnel, it's an entrance to camp," she croaked.

 _Camp._ I got a shock of electricity. _Home. Annabeth._

But this wasn't right.

On the apartment building, Stheno let out a hideous shriek and pointed at me.

"Not much time, child," the woman warned. "You need to make your choice."

"Who are you?" I asked, checking for Riptide in my pocket. The last thing I needed for this lady to turn into the _real_ Medusa.

"Oh, you can call me June." The woman broke into a huge smile. "It _is_ June, isn't it? They named the month after me!"

Good, so the woman wasn't a monster; just loopy.

"Okay," I said gently, trying to look back at the gorgons. "Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming, and I don't want them to hurt you."

June placed her hands over her heart and rocked backwards. "How sweet! But that's part of your choice!"

"My choice…" I glanced at the tunnel, and the feeling of dread washed over me again. The gorgons were clambering down the hill, ripping off their vests to reveal tiny brass bat wings. I swallowed hard. Had they always had wings? Those had to be too small to actually fly with, right? Just decoration? Then the gorgons leaped into the air and took flight, talons out.

 _Great. Just great._

"Yes, a choice," June cooed, staring up at the gorgons dreamily. "You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future."

The second option sounded like a winner. "Or?"

"Or," June said with a twisted grin, "you could do a good deed for an old lady. Carry me to camp with you."

"Carry you?" She couldn't be serious. I'd get fleas from touching her.

But she wasn't kidding. She pulled up her dress and showed me her swollen purple feet.

"I can't get there by myself. Carry me to camp - across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river."

I didn't look like a deal. I was already drained, and June weighed at least 100 pounds.

The sister gorgons shrieked again. They were swooping in on the breeze, like they weren't even in a rush.

"And I'd carry you to camp because - ?"

"Because it's a kindness! And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you won't remember them."

There seemed to be way too much counting on a piggyback ride.

"You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea…"

I gulped. It was an impossible decision: A life of pain and suffering, or asylum in the sea while the world fell apart. How did I know that June was even telling the truth?

Euryale and Stheno laughed as they began circling overhead, inspecting June. They hovered closer and closer..

"If I go to the camp," I asked, "will I get my memory back?"

"Eventually, but be warned, you will sacrifice much! You will lose the Mark of Achilles. You'll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life."

"And those guards at the door?"

"Oh they'll let you in, dear." June said, waving her hand. "You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?"

I was ninety-nine percent sure June was _not_ a defenseless old woman. Someone who knew as much as she did could not wander around unable to fight. This had the word _trap_ written all over it. But it also could be some sort of test. I couldn't remember taking any, but I knew I hated tests. This was definitely the worst I had taken. My whole life was a big fill-in-the-blank. I'm _ from _. I felt like _, and if the gorgons caught me, I'd be _.

The only thing I was sure about was Annabeth. I knew who she was now. She was my girlfriend, and she was trained at a camp with me. Even though something felt off, she might be on the other side of that door, waiting for me. I _had_ to get back to her.

"I'll carry you," I decided. I hoisted June onto my back. She weighed hardly anything, like she wasn't even there.

I took a wild chance and ran out into traffic. Drivers honked and swerved away. Some fired curses out of their windows. Others just kept moving like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Stheno appeared above me and cackled. "Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?"

 _A goddess?_ I knew June was up to something.

I jumped out of the way just before an SUV could strike us. "Whoops!" June muttered, like this was an extreme game of Frogger.

"Get them!" Euryale screamed. "Two prizes are better than one!"

I used my last burst of energy to reach the median. June's weight increased. I stumbled towards the entrance. The guy wielding the bow nocked an arrow. My heart skipped a beat. I'd come all this way just to get shish kabobed by someone that I was supposed to trust.

"Wait!" I yelled. Then the guy pointed the arrow upward and fired over my head. One of the gorgons howled. The other guard waved her spear around frantically, calling me closer.

 _50 feet...40 feet..._

A claw dug into my shoulder. "Gotcha!" Euryale screamed in triumph. Then an arrow lodged into her head. She fell into the path of a semi-truck, and then slammed into a cab. This time, she didn't even turn to dust; she just climbed over the hood of the cab, ripped the arrow out, and charged after me again.

I finally fell against the door. "Thanks," I told the boy in between breaths. "Good shot."

"That should've killed her!" He complained.

"Welcome to my world."

The girl hefted her spear onto her shoulder. "Frank, get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons!"

"Gorgons?" The boy squeaked. Now that I had stopped running, I could get a closer look at him. He looked about a year younger than me, and had a stocky built. "Will the door hold them?"

June laughed and swung her legs. "No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!"

"Percy Jackson?" The girl asked. She had darker skin and looked even younger than Frank, with curly hair flattened by her helmet. She was also pretty short - the tip of her sword reached her ankles. What were kids as young as they were doing out here defending some demigod camp from monsters?

"Okay," she began. "You're obviously a demigod. But who's the - nevermind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off!"

"Hazel," The boy said. "Don't be crazy."

"Go!"

I could tell that Frank wanted to argue. Instead he just cursed in some language - Latin? - and wrenched the door open.

I followed him into the dim tunnel. I shifted June on my back. I didn't care what anyone said, she _was_ getting heavier.

The tunnel reminded me of a school hallway, except it was lined with flickering lights and electrical cables. As we ran, cement morphed into mosaic tiles. The bright fluorescent lights were replaced with smokeless torches. A chill went up my back. _This isn't how you reach camp_. You drove to camp, hiked through the woods, and were greeted by friends in the fresh air and sunlight. Not by passing through some dank, claustrophobic tunnel. I suddenly stumbled as my throat constricted and pain shot through my head.

 _We're not safe. We're in the Labyrinth. We're going to die._

"Shh. Focus, child," June whispered. "You must relax. This isn't the Labyrinth. This is home." She began to sing a lullaby in Latin. I found it more distracting than comforting. And June now weighed about 200 pounds.

A small square of sunlight appeared ahead, and my head cleared. Stheno's screaming and Hazel's yelling echoed behind me. I wanted to drop June and go help, but her fingernails dug into my shoulders, like she knew what I was thinking. Then, the tunnel shook, and half of it collapsed, completely sealing off the section behind gorgons' screams cut off as they were crushed underneath.

I looked back up at Frank. He completely ignored the collapse and kept on running.

"Shouldn't we check on Hazel?" I called.

"She'll be okay - I hope," Frank responded. "She's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

June laughed again. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that."

"Detention?" I blurted out of nowhere.

"Rome, child," June corrected, dropping the joking tone. "Rome."

That wasn't right. Sure, my mind was fuzzy and I wasn't exactly a geography fanatic, but we were most definitely in California. Rome was on the other side of the planet.

We burst out of the tunnel. I froze and nearly dropped June.

It was like I had left one world and entered another. In front of me was a giant mountain valley, filled with golden hills and oak trees swaying in the breeze. A patchy mountain rose in the distance. _Isn't that Mount Diablo?_

But the sight above was nothing compared to below. In the very center, right next to a gleaming lake, was a small city made of marble buildings with red tile roofs. In the larger plazas, I could see fountains, statues, and overflowing gardens. Slightly higher than the city was a group of buildings that reminded me of national monuments and palaces, with golden domes and pillars. In the space next to that was a five-story Roman stadium, like a mini Colosseum, complete with its own track and field area. Rising out of the hillside was an elevated track made of brick. At first, I thought it was a train track, until I saw it end in the lake and realized it was an aqueduct. On the other side of the lake was a group of more marble buildings that had to be temples. The entire city was encircled by a river branching off the lake.

Though it was a breath-taking sight, my attention was drawn to buildings closer to me. Encased inside a massive fort defended by watch towers, a dry moat, and lots and lots of spikes was what looked like a military base. There were squat barracks lined up in rows, and kids with swords and armor walked around casually in between them. The smell of fire and cooking food wafted through the air.

It was very familiar, but also very, very wrong.

"Camp Jupiter," Frank explained. "We'll be safe once-"

Hazel practically fell out of the tunnel, coated in dust and breathing heavily. Her armor has slash marks across the front, and she had lost her helmet, revealing cinnamon-colored hair. She peeled a 50% off sticker off of her arm.

"I slowed them down," she panted. "But they'll be here any second."

"We have to get across the river," Frank said.

"Oh yes, please," June piped up. "I can't get my dress wet."

I was done doing favors for this lady, even if she was a goddess. _Must be the goddess of sewage,_ I thought bitterly.

 _It's a kindness!_ June had told him. _And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed._

I couldn't fail this test. Besides, I'd come this far. Might as well drag her across the river, too.

We reached the riverbank. It was fast-moving, but I could tell it wasn't very deep. Right on the other side was the entrance to the fort.

Frank loaded two arrows onto his bow. "Go, Hazel, " he instructed. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the baddies."

Hazel splashed into the river and sprinted through it, holding her sword over her head. But I stood still, letting the water splash against my shoes. Usually, I loved water. It reignited my skills, and had saved my butt a dozen times in the last week. Water normally called me in, inviting me into its safe current. But this river didn't give off that vibe. The water held too much power, and churned angrily, ready to overflow its banks. It almost felt...angry?

"The Little Tiber," June explained. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."

It was a pretty long explanation for a pretty simple answer: "If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?"

"So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?"

The screaming escaped gorgons sure didn't sound like safety. Frank was barely able to fend them off.

Hazel snapped me out of my thoughts. "Percy, come on!"

Horns blew from the fort as soldiers lined up at the top. Giant crossbows turned to the gorgons.

I had to keep going. _Annabeth,_ I thought. _I have to get to her._

I waded into the river. Despite the summer heat, the water was ice cold and picked up speed as I stepped into it. My strength returned as power surged around me. In a few big strides, I dropped June onto the opposite riverbank. The fort's gates opened and an entire army of teenagers poured out. Hazel smiled at me and opened her mouth to say something when her eyes filled with fear at something behind me.

"Frank!"

I followed her gaze just in time to see Frank scream in pain as the gorgons dug their claws into his shoulders and hoisted him out of the water. The archers pointed their bows at the monsters, but I knew they couldn't shoot. There was too big of a chance that they'd hit Frank. Other kids pulled out swords and charged into the river, but you couldn't exactly fight flying monsters on the ground. There was only one way to save him.

I held my hands out in front of me and focused. The river pulled in my gut and the current changed suddenly, listening to my command. Two whirlpools formed, followed by giant hands made of water that were linked to my own. I shut my fists, and the giant hands grabbed the gorgons tightly, making them drop Frank. The kids behind me yelped in surprise and stepped away from me, but I didn't have time for first impressions. It was time to get rid of Stheno and Euryale once and for all.

I threw my hands towards the ground, and the hands crushed the gorgons into the river. The sisters exploded into clouds of swirling dust at the bottom. I could feel them trying to re-form, so I strengthened the current. The particles were torn apart from each other and swept downstream. The giant hands dropped into the water with a giant _SPLOOSH._ The current returned to normal. My clothes were steaming, and my skin was stinging, like I'd gotten a bad sunburn all over my body. I felt like exposed and weak.

 _The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. The Tiber will wash it away._

The only sound was the river flowing. Frank stood in the middle, staring at me in shock as Hazel waded in to help him out. The other kids were staring at me in a confusing mix of emotions: fear, awe, and just pure confusion.

June broke the silence. "Well, that was a lovely trip," she said calmly. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

A girl in the crowd coughed. "Percy...Jackson?" She said in disbelief.

My head snapped towards the voice in hope. _Annabeth…?_

Instead, I faced a dark-haired girl with deep black eyes who was in no way Annabeth. Her purple cloak and various medals pointed her out as a leader. She obviously recognized me, but I didn't recognize her one bit. Normally, every person I'd met so far that's known my name had created even the most minimal feeling of familiarity. This girl had absolutely _nothing._ But she knew me. _How?_

"Oh, yes!" June laughed. "You'll have such fun together!"

June's laugh began to change. It turned from high and scratchy to low and rich. Then June herself began to change. She started to glow, gained almost three feet in height, and transformed into a beautiful woman. She wore a blue dress and held a spear topped with a lotus flower. Draped over her shoulders was some sort of animal skin. She looked down on us and smiled.

The crowd was shocked. The leader girl got onto the one knee and bowed. Everyone else scrambled to the ground as well. Well, everyone except me. A powerful immortal goddess that made me carry her all the way to camp did not deserve my respect.

"Juno," Hazel said so quietly I barely heard her.

"Juno, huh?" I heard a few horrified gasps behind me. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?"

She smiled at me. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet."

She looked past me and raised her spear. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in battle. Do not fail me!"

Juno disappeared. I faced the crowd. No one looking at me seemed happy about my presence, so I looked at Hazel and Frank. Hazel shrugged and stared at the sky. Then I saw Frank shove two random glass vials into his pockets. I gave him a look, and he looked back like: _We'll talk later._

What was even more disappointing than the Romans' lack of response were their facial expressions. Not one person seemed to recognize me, and I didn't recognize anyone back. The only person that apparently _did_ was the leader girl, who looked to be on the verge of stabbing me.

"So, a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno," The girl said harshly.

I wouldn't call _do whatever you want with him, I don't care_ a blessing, but evidently a god saying anything at all was a blessing.

"Look," I said cautiously, "my memory's a little fuzzy." _Understatement of the year._ "Um, it's _gone,_ actually. Do I know you?"

"I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And...no, I don't know you."

 _Man, I hope she isn't this bad at lying all the time._

I should have called her out, but I didn't want to start an arguement with the camp's leader in front of her whole army. Then she might _really_ stab me.

"Hazel, bring him inside," Reyna instructed. "I want to question him at the _principia_. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before deciding what to do with him."

She said the last part bitterly, like she didn't really want to do it. But I was more concerned with something else.

"What do you mean 'decide what to do with me?'" I asked.

She gripped her knife tighter. She obviously didn't like back talk. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us a new recruit," - she looked me up and down, as if to say: _Yeah, right -_ "Or if she's brought us an enemy to kill."

* * *

 **A/N: Soooo, what did you think? Should I fast-forward through the next SoN Percy-centric chapters, or just stick with adding internal dialogue? Tell me in a review!**

 **I'm too tired to beta read ughhhhh sorry.**

 **(Also, I don't think I used the semicolons correctly. Then again, who** _ **does**_ **know how to use semicolons correctly.)**

 **~Basura**


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